Tote box



Jan. 13, 1959 K. s. zoLYN TOTE BOX Filed July l5. 1957 K United States Patent Kazimr S. Zolyn, Westfield, Mass., 4assignor to White Industries, Inc., Westfield, Mass., a corporation Application July 15, 1957, Serial No. 671,885

1 Claim. (Cl. 217-15) This invention relates to improvements in receptacles and is directed to receptacles commonly called tote boxes.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision of a tote box which is relatively light in weight, strong in construction and readily and easily collapsed or set up for use as a receptacle.

The novel construction of the tote box of the invention is such that, in a collapsed, flattened out, or knock-down condition, it occupies but small space for storage purposes when not in use.

, Tote boxes of the prior art are known to be heavy and bulky whereby they are handled only with some diiiiculty and occupy considerable space when stored, all of which is objectionable.

According to the novel features of this invention, the tote ibox is constructed from relatively light weight and inexpensive materials so as to be light in weight and economical in production.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the construction of a tote box without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention to be described in the present preferred form thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figs. l and 2 are plan views of the inner and outer sides respectively of the tote box of the invention shown in collapsed, attened out, condition;

Figs. 3 and 4 are isometric views of end portions of the rim members of the tote box; and

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of the tote box in setup condition.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the novel features of the invention will be fully described.

A sheet of material 1 is provided and which is formed to have opposite rectangular side walls 2 and 2, opposite rectangular end walls 4 and 4, and a bottom wall 6.

VSaid sheet material may be what is known as corrugated board which is relatively light in weight and of sufficient strength for the practise of the invention. Other materials similar thereto will suice for the practise of the invention, and as distinguished from rigid material such as plywood or the like. The sheet material will be referred to as being semi-rigid.

The side walls 2 are swingable upwardly vertically relative to the ibottom wall on bending or score lines 8, and the end walls 4 are likewise swingable relative to said bottom wall on lines indicated by 8. Other score lines 9 are provided as are slots 10 which cooperate to provide flexibility for the relative swinging of the walls to their set up position.

Outer edge portions of the side and end walls 2 and 4 have rims 2 ad 4' respectively extending therealong and secured thereto.

The side walls 2 and end walls 4 have supports 3 and 5 respectively secured to the outer sides thereof, and these are arranged so that the upper ends thereof abut the rim 2 and 4' respectively as shown in Fig. 2.

Braces 7 are secured to the outer side of the lower wall 6 and outerendsV thereof t are arranged closelyV adjacen inner endsioffthe supports 3.

The rims,rsupports1andbraces maybe formed -from any material desired.` Wood,,howevenfhasbeen found to be `suitable for: the practise` of.; thef invention.

Said wood components may be secured to the Wall members in any convenient manner, stabiles S being indicated for purposes of disclosure.

Opposite ends of the rims 4 are provided with outwardly extending ledges 12, and opposite ends of the rims 2 are formed with outward projections 14 which are adapted to seat on the said ledges.

Pins or posts 16 are carried by and extend from inner sides of the projections 14 of the rims 2', and sockets or openings 18 are provided in the ledges of the rims 4 in which said posts 16 are receivable.

ln setting up the tote box, the side and end walls are swung upwardly to vertical position relative to the bottom wall, and the posts 16 of the members 2 are inserted in the sockets 18 of the ledges 12 of members 4.

The slots 10, score lines 9, and score lines 8 adjacent thereto, cooperate in such a manner as to provide flexible bendability and facilitate the ready and easy vertical positioning of the walls and interlocking of the posts and sockets. t

With the posts 16 of members 2' in the sockets 18 of the ledges, the end portions 14 of member 2 rest on the ledges 12 of the members 4 so that the corners of the tote box are in releasably locked relation, with the side and end walls vertically related to the bottom wall in a horizontal position.

With the tote box supported by the braces 7 on a horizontal supporting surface, the members 3 and 5 are arranged so that the lower or inner ends thereof are flush with outer faces of the braces so as to rest on the supporting surface. ln this way, the rim members are supported by the supports 3 and 5 which have their lower ends on the supporting surface. Not only are the rim members supported by the supporting members 3 and 5 but also the side and end walls are reinforced and strengthened thereby, while at the same time adjacent walls are releasably locked together by the rims.

The rim members 4 are arranged to function as cleats whereby the tote box may be lifted.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention and therefore it is desired to be limited, if at all, by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description.

I claim:

A tote bo-x blank adapted for setting up in the form of a receptacle comprising, a single sheet of corrugated 'board or the like having inner and outer faces and formed to have a bottom wall section and opposite and adjacent side and end wall sections upwardly swingable to set-up relation on bending lines provided along opposite longitudinal side edges and along transverse end edges of said bottom wall section, relatively stift` rims secured to the outer face of said side and end wall sections at outermost edges thereof, a pair of elongated braces of a certain thickness secured to the outer face of said bottom wall section disposed inwardly of and in parallelism with the bending lines for said end wall sections, a pair of supports secured to the outer face of each side wall section disposed inwardly of opposite side edges thereof and extending in parallelism with said braces, a pair of supports secured to the outer face of each end wall section disposed transversely relative-` to said braces, inner ends of the supports of said side and end wall sections extending beyond the bending lines for said sections and over said bottom wall section a distance equal to the thickness of said braces whereby in. set-up relation of the wall sections with the braces on a at support the innery ends of said supports will rest on the flat support, opposite ends of the rims of the end wall sections provided with end ledge portions, opposite ends of the rims of the side wall sections provided with end projecting portions to overiie said ledge portions in set-up re1aton of said wall sections, certain of said end portions provided with posts and the other of said end portions provided with sockets in which said posts are receivable.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS France Feb. 14, 1951 

